US Art Supply Large Sculpting Wheel Review

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Finding the best pottery wheel can be one of the most difficult things about starting to make pottery at home.

Are weighted rims worth waiting around? Will you square your shoulders at the centering circles? Should you give the non-skid rubber boot the boot? Is the wheel head size good enough to put a spin on your expectations?

Making art is difficult enough without worrying about if you can rely on your sculpting wheel.

That’s why we’re here to answer any questions you may have, along with the most important question of all.

Will the US Art Supply large sculpting wheel be the best invention since — well, the wheel — or should you look elsewhere?

US Art Supply Large 12” Sculpting Wheel: the Details

Specs

Construction

This 12” pottery wheel consists of three parts: first is the wheel head, which is made with heavy duty metal.

Then there’s the plastic base with a non-skid rubber boot to fasten this product to a surface.

Finally, there’s the ball bearing joint that’s also made of metal, which connects all the parts and helps the wheel head spin faster.

The shaft is about 2 inches tall, meaning this wheel ought to be used while sitting. However, this product can support up to 50 pounds, so it also allows for fairly hands-on approaches with your art pieces, regardless of their size.

Art is hard enough without spinning heads disappointing you and making your head spin thanks to these centering circles, but thanks to these centering circles, the only thing that will be spinning is your art.

Plus, the non-skid rubber boot is a god send too.

There’s little worse than working on a small detail for your project then the sculpting wheel moves unexpectedly and your piece is destroyed. It happens: it’s frustrating and oftentimes the only way to solve the problem is to get out your toolbox.

Luckily, this sculpting wheel comes with a non-skid rubber boot so once you choose where you want your wheel, it will actually stay put.

No more involuntary movements or abolished art; just balance so you can spend less time stressing and more time sculpting.

Excellent Construction

Few people will admit it, but one of the first things to look for when buying a sculpting wheel is whether or not it’ll be easy to clean.

There are so many horror stories of wasting wheels solely because they weren’t made of strong enough material.

Thanks to this wheel’s heavy duty metal design, the spinning head can easily be cleaned in between sessions to help with long-term use.

This way, you can spend less money on buying replacement wheels and more money on the projects and pieces you want to make.

Good Height

Like it or not, most people have a specific ways they like to do their art.

Some people paint left-handed, others don’t like using sculpting tools, and some people have to spin sculpting wheels with their hand underneath the device.

You can imagine how annoying it would be to train yourself to turn the table using the top of spinning head — especially if it’s wet from cleaning.

Thankfully, this wheel has about 2 inches of space below the wheel for your spinning convenience — because the only thing you should think about with your pottery wheel is the art you’re making.

The Negatives

It’s Not Motorized

There’s no point avoiding it: this wheel doesn’t use a motor.

Any spinning must be done manually, which may be alarming for those of you who prefer to sculpt symmetrical pieces like vases and bowls.

Of course, for those of you who plan on painting or sculpting other pieces, you might not require a motor whatsoever.

We suggest considering what projects you want to make with this wheel before purchasing.

Weird Initial Smell

This isn’t necessarily a major negative, but this pottery wheel definitely turned up with an odd odor when it first arrived in the mail.

This is likely due to poor ventilation during its delivery process.

It’s important to understand this smell isn’t permanent — it took a few days to totally wear off for us — but those of you who plan to buy in bulk for a class might want to consider this odor during your preparations.

We recommend opening a window, using a fan, cleaning the sculpting wheel, or spraying another scent to mask the smell.